convex-file-storage

name	Convex File Storage
description	Complete file handling including upload flows, serving files via URL, storing generated files from actions, deletion, and accessing file metadata from system tables
version	1.0.0
author	Convex
tags	["convex","file-storage","uploads","images","files"]

Convex File Storage

Handle file uploads, storage, serving, and management in Convex applications with proper patterns for images, documents, and generated files.

Documentation Sources

Before implementing, do not assume; fetch the latest documentation:

• Primary: https://docs.convex.dev/file-storage
• Upload Files: https://docs.convex.dev/file-storage/upload-files
• Serve Files: https://docs.convex.dev/file-storage/serve-files
• For broader context: https://docs.convex.dev/llms.txt

Instructions

File Storage Overview

Convex provides built-in file storage with:

• Automatic URL generation for serving files
• Support for any file type (images, PDFs, videos, etc.)
• File metadata via the _storage system table
• Integration with mutations and actions

Generating Upload URLs

// convex/files.ts
import { mutation } from "./_generated/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export const generateUploadUrl = mutation({
  args: {},
  returns: v.string(),
  handler: async (ctx) => {
    return await ctx.storage.generateUploadUrl();
  },
});

Client-Side Upload

// React component
import { useMutation } from "convex/react";
import { api } from "../convex/_generated/api";
import { useState } from "react";

function FileUploader() {
  const generateUploadUrl = useMutation(api.files.generateUploadUrl);
  const saveFile = useMutation(api.files.saveFile);
  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);

  const handleUpload = async (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    const file = e.target.files?.[0];
    if (!file) return;

    setUploading(true);
    try {
      // Step 1: Get upload URL
      const uploadUrl = await generateUploadUrl();

      // Step 2: Upload file to storage
      const result = await fetch(uploadUrl, {
        method: "POST",
        headers: { "Content-Type": file.type },
        body: file,
      });

      const { storageId } = await result.json();

      // Step 3: Save file reference to database
      await saveFile({
        storageId,
        fileName: file.name,
        fileType: file.type,
        fileSize: file.size,
      });
    } finally {
      setUploading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <input
        type="file"
        onChange={handleUpload}
        disabled={uploading}
      />
      {uploading && <p>Uploading...</p>}
    </div>
  );
}

Saving File References

// convex/files.ts
import { mutation, query } from "./_generated/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export const saveFile = mutation({
  args: {
    storageId: v.id("_storage"),
    fileName: v.string(),
    fileType: v.string(),
    fileSize: v.number(),
  },
  returns: v.id("files"),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    return await ctx.db.insert("files", {
      storageId: args.storageId,
      fileName: args.fileName,
      fileType: args.fileType,
      fileSize: args.fileSize,
      uploadedAt: Date.now(),
    });
  },
});

Serving Files via URL

// convex/files.ts
export const getFileUrl = query({
  args: { storageId: v.id("_storage") },
  returns: v.union(v.string(), v.null()),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    return await ctx.storage.getUrl(args.storageId);
  },
});

// Get file with URL
export const getFile = query({
  args: { fileId: v.id("files") },
  returns: v.union(
    v.object({
      _id: v.id("files"),
      fileName: v.string(),
      fileType: v.string(),
      fileSize: v.number(),
      url: v.union(v.string(), v.null()),
    }),
    v.null()
  ),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    const file = await ctx.db.get(args.fileId);
    if (!file) return null;

    const url = await ctx.storage.getUrl(file.storageId);
    
    return {
      _id: file._id,
      fileName: file.fileName,
      fileType: file.fileType,
      fileSize: file.fileSize,
      url,
    };
  },
});

Displaying Files in React

import { useQuery } from "convex/react";
import { api } from "../convex/_generated/api";

function FileDisplay({ fileId }: { fileId: Id<"files"> }) {
  const file = useQuery(api.files.getFile, { fileId });

  if (!file) return <div>Loading...</div>;
  if (!file.url) return <div>File not found</div>;

  // Handle different file types
  if (file.fileType.startsWith("image/")) {
    return <img src={file.url} alt={file.fileName} />;
  }

  if (file.fileType === "application/pdf") {
    return (
      <iframe
        src={file.url}
        title={file.fileName}
        width="100%"
        height="600px"
      />
    );
  }

  return (
    <a href={file.url} download={file.fileName}>
      Download {file.fileName}
    </a>
  );
}

Storing Generated Files from Actions

// convex/generate.ts
"use node";

import { action } from "./_generated/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";
import { api } from "./_generated/api";

export const generatePDF = action({
  args: { content: v.string() },
  returns: v.id("_storage"),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    // Generate PDF (example using a library)
    const pdfBuffer = await generatePDFFromContent(args.content);

    // Convert to Blob
    const blob = new Blob([pdfBuffer], { type: "application/pdf" });

    // Store in Convex
    const storageId = await ctx.storage.store(blob);

    return storageId;
  },
});

// Generate and save image
export const generateImage = action({
  args: { prompt: v.string() },
  returns: v.id("_storage"),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    // Call external API to generate image
    const response = await fetch("https://api.example.com/generate", {
      method: "POST",
      body: JSON.stringify({ prompt: args.prompt }),
    });

    const imageBuffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
    const blob = new Blob([imageBuffer], { type: "image/png" });

    return await ctx.storage.store(blob);
  },
});

Accessing File Metadata

// convex/files.ts
import { query } from "./_generated/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";
import { Id } from "./_generated/dataModel";

type FileMetadata = {
  _id: Id<"_storage">;
  _creationTime: number;
  contentType?: string;
  sha256: string;
  size: number;
};

export const getFileMetadata = query({
  args: { storageId: v.id("_storage") },
  returns: v.union(
    v.object({
      _id: v.id("_storage"),
      _creationTime: v.number(),
      contentType: v.optional(v.string()),
      sha256: v.string(),
      size: v.number(),
    }),
    v.null()
  ),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    const metadata = await ctx.db.system.get(args.storageId);
    return metadata as FileMetadata | null;
  },
});

Deleting Files

// convex/files.ts
import { mutation } from "./_generated/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export const deleteFile = mutation({
  args: { fileId: v.id("files") },
  returns: v.null(),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    const file = await ctx.db.get(args.fileId);
    if (!file) return null;

    // Delete from storage
    await ctx.storage.delete(file.storageId);

    // Delete database record
    await ctx.db.delete(args.fileId);

    return null;
  },
});

Image Upload with Preview

import { useMutation } from "convex/react";
import { api } from "../convex/_generated/api";
import { useState, useRef } from "react";

function ImageUploader({ onUpload }: { onUpload: (id: Id<"files">) => void }) {
  const generateUploadUrl = useMutation(api.files.generateUploadUrl);
  const saveFile = useMutation(api.files.saveFile);
  const [preview, setPreview] = useState<string | null>(null);
  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);
  const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);

  const handleFileSelect = async (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    const file = e.target.files?.[0];
    if (!file) return;

    // Validate file type
    if (!file.type.startsWith("image/")) {
      alert("Please select an image file");
      return;
    }

    // Validate file size (max 10MB)
    if (file.size > 10 * 1024 * 1024) {
      alert("File size must be less than 10MB");
      return;
    }

    // Show preview
    const reader = new FileReader();
    reader.onload = (e) => setPreview(e.target?.result as string);
    reader.readAsDataURL(file);

    // Upload
    setUploading(true);
    try {
      const uploadUrl = await generateUploadUrl();
      const result = await fetch(uploadUrl, {
        method: "POST",
        headers: { "Content-Type": file.type },
        body: file,
      });

      const { storageId } = await result.json();
      const fileId = await saveFile({
        storageId,
        fileName: file.name,
        fileType: file.type,
        fileSize: file.size,
      });

      onUpload(fileId);
    } finally {
      setUploading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <input
        ref={inputRef}
        type="file"
        accept="image/*"
        onChange={handleFileSelect}
        style={{ display: "none" }}
      />
      
      <button
        onClick={() => inputRef.current?.click()}
        disabled={uploading}
      >
        {uploading ? "Uploading..." : "Select Image"}
      </button>

      {preview && (
        <img
          src={preview}
          alt="Preview"
          style={{ maxWidth: 200, marginTop: 10 }}
        />
      )}
    </div>
  );
}

Examples

Schema for File Storage

// convex/schema.ts
import { defineSchema, defineTable } from "convex/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export default defineSchema({
  files: defineTable({
    storageId: v.id("_storage"),
    fileName: v.string(),
    fileType: v.string(),
    fileSize: v.number(),
    uploadedBy: v.id("users"),
    uploadedAt: v.number(),
  })
    .index("by_user", ["uploadedBy"])
    .index("by_type", ["fileType"]),

  // User avatars
  users: defineTable({
    name: v.string(),
    email: v.string(),
    avatarStorageId: v.optional(v.id("_storage")),
  }),

  // Posts with images
  posts: defineTable({
    authorId: v.id("users"),
    content: v.string(),
    imageStorageIds: v.array(v.id("_storage")),
    createdAt: v.number(),
  }).index("by_author", ["authorId"]),
});

Best Practices

• Never run npx convex deploy unless explicitly instructed
• Never run any git commands unless explicitly instructed
• Validate file types and sizes on the client before uploading
• Store file metadata (name, type, size) in your own table
• Use the _storage system table only for Convex metadata
• Delete storage files when deleting database references
• Use appropriate Content-Type headers when uploading
• Consider image optimization for large images

Common Pitfalls

1. Not setting Content-Type header - Files may not serve correctly
2. Forgetting to delete storage - Orphaned files waste storage
3. Not validating file types - Security risk for malicious uploads
4. Large file uploads without progress - Poor UX for users
5. Using deprecated getMetadata - Use ctx.db.system.get instead

References

• Convex Documentation: https://docs.convex.dev/
• Convex LLMs.txt: https://docs.convex.dev/llms.txt
• File Storage: https://docs.convex.dev/file-storage
• Upload Files: https://docs.convex.dev/file-storage/upload-files
• Serve Files: https://docs.convex.dev/file-storage/serve-files